


The Card

by celestialteapot



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Anthea worries, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-06
Updated: 2012-03-06
Packaged: 2017-11-01 13:37:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/357408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialteapot/pseuds/celestialteapot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mycroft keeps a gun in his desk drawer. Anthea worries. Post-Reich.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Card

Few people knew that Mycroft Holmes kept a gun in his desk drawer, even fewer knew that it had belonged to his grandfather. A sleek Webley Mk IV .38/200 calibre service revolver. It would have been passed down to Mycroft's father but he had left shortly after his tenth birthday so it had come to him. He's kept it in excellent condition, cleaned it regularly and occasionally taking it down to the police firing range. His grandfather taught him to shoot, much to his mother's dismay, he's never fired it in aggression or in self-defense though.

Three days after what had been quietly dubbed 'The Event' (it annoyed him, Sherlock had committed suicide - he saw no need to dress it up as anything else) he found himself unlocking a drawer in his office, removing a plain wooden box and carefully lifting the lid. He looked at it, nestled neatly it the fine red silk before gently returning it to the drawer.

The fifth time he repeated the routine, he found that the gun was gone, replaced with a blank bereavement counsellors appointment card. He took it from the box and stared at it, turning it over in his hand to see 'Please?' written on the back in a familiar blue ink. He sat back in his chair, glancing at a photograph he had taken from Sherlock's bedroom - they were so young. He stroked the picture gently before reaching for the telephone.

The next morning, Anthea was surprised to find a bouquet of flowers on her desk. Reaching out, she pulled the card from the flowers and smiled.

Carefully, she added the time and date to Mycroft's personal diary before taking him his morning coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> I know nothing about guns but Google told me that the Webley .455 was one of the issued hand guns during WW2. If this is incorrect or doesn't make sense, please let me know and I'll change it :)
> 
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webley_Revolver>
> 
> Apparently in the 'Scandal in Belgravia' Q&A, Mark Gatiss revealed that there is a photograph in Sherlock's bedroom of him and Mycroft as kids (not viewed on screen but it's there). I thought that was quite sweet :)


End file.
